17. I only claim the writers-block and good feeling those reviews (PLEASE) give me. But that's about it.
To speak in tongues.
Thûlocuil's first thought had been of orcs. She always slept with her dagger within reach; habits die hard when they are practised for over 4000 years, and this habit had proved its profit more than once. She shot awake with the adrenalin rushing trough her body, in a reflex, that gave away her experience, she moved. A moment later she recognized Legolas's eyes and her body froze, but not only because he was not an orc; for he was way too close...
Legolas stared into her eyes. He saw the reflection of the campfire in those soft mirrors. What had these eyes seen? How old was she? Where had these eyes been? He smiled: I want to know! he thought.
Thûlocuil never had seen another elf's eyes from this close. 'The mirror of the soul' she had once read. She saw the emotions in his eyes change; from horror to an overwhelming desire and then to curiosity and finally they truly laughed. She felt like she was sinking into those eyes when suddenly she became aware of a dark form looming over them. She looked up and moved her dagger. Towering above them was an Uruk-hai. It's black skin was glistening and in contrast the yellow teeth almost radiated.
She began to shout: "Erio! Erio! Uruk-hai! E..." (Rise! Rise! Uruk-hai!) The Uruk grabbed with one strong hand Legolas's neck and jerked him off her. With his other hand he seized her arm that held the dagger at the wrist. With all his force he increased the pressure on her wrist. It felt like the bone was going to snap and Thûlocuil was forced to let go of the dagger.
Legolas pulled up his legs, placed his feet against the torso and with a thrust stretched his legs. Thus he launched himself from the creature. Meanwhile Thûlocuil kicked the Uruk in the hollow of the knee. Although they are fighting-machines, the fierceness of two elven-warriors was a bit too much, even for the Uruk. He lost his grip on Legolas, who sailed some way through the air before he came down on the resilient underground. Now the Uruk had both hands free and with a evil laugh it hit Thûlocuil's other arm, exactly on the bandage. Then it seized her by the throat, while reaching for its sword. By the time Legolas came charging in, it was ready for the counterattack. Using Thûlocuil as a shield, it charged with its hooked sword at Legolas.
The other elves had been roused by the call from Thûlocuil. They came near with arrows stung to their bows, but were reluctant to shoot any, afraid of hitting the 'shield'. Legolas started to circle around the Uruk and the creature was forced to mirror the elf's movements. His attention divided between Legolas and the treat of the elves, he tossed his 'shield' back and fro, like a rag doll, without a free will. However, this made his grip less strong. Thûlocuil inhaled sharply and shouted: "Cabo! Cabo! Ca..". (Jump!) She was cut short because the Uruk raised his knee and slammed her body hard against it. She was hit just beneath the arch of her ribs, and all air was forced out of her lungs.
The elves did not move, the command had been too strange and coming from a stranger too. But Legolas suddenly remembered her comment to Rovalhon about the movement of the island and started jumping, repeating the command. At first nothing seemed to happen, the Uruk stood still, looking at the elves who apparently had gone mad, jumping up and down like they had been lying in an anthill. But slowly the ground started rising and falling and soon the whole island was surging like it was an ocean during a tempest. Even the elves had trouble to stay on their feet. The Uruk tried to retain its balance, Thûlocuil's weight made that hard to do and she was wiggling to enhance the effect. The Uruk took one uncertain step but when it put its foot down, the ground seemed to fall and it tumbled. In a reflex it stretched its arms to hold of the collision. Thûlocuil had been anticipating this and rolled away the moment she felt the tight grip on her loosen. Instantly she was up on all fours and crawling towards where she had been sleeping. She grabbed her sword, and was reassured by the feeling of cold metal against her palm... Good! And now she would show him...
The moment he had seen the Uruk fall, Legolas had ordered his man to stop jumping. However, the soil continued moving. Like a lake that had been stirred, the movement died out rather slowly. Luckily they could tread as light as elves and so were largely in advance now: finding their balance quickly enough and moving towards the Uruk. Yet, since they did not know where Thûlocuil was, they held back their arrows. Slowly they advanced, bows drawn.
Only one rushed in: Thûlocuil. She used the waves of the underground like a surfer would do and jumped onto the Uruk just before he was getting up again. The force of the hit made him fall into the ground again. Before he knew what happened she found an opening in his wargear, sliced it open and his naked back was exposed. She softly pressed the sword onto the black skin. "Bhadûrat agh mata durt,"(Move and die for sure [litt.: change and die sure] A/N: in the Black Speech (!)) she said.
Like always when someone utters the Black Speech, her voice sounded harsh and cold. The approaching elves froze on hearing the Black Speech of Mordor. But they were not the only ones surprised. The Uruk was astounded and turned his head to see who was addressing him in Sauron's language; it costed him. With a quick movement Thûlocuil gave him a nasty cut from his shoulder blades to the base of his neck. "Glob! Bugud agh dhaar!" (Fool! Name and rank!) she told him. Legolas heard the Uruk wince from pain when she increased the pressure of her blade on his neck. The Uruk spitted and then answered: "Globûrz Golug! Globob Golug!" (Filthy elves! Foolish she-elf!). His comment ended in another cry. "Ghashkrutat!" (Answer!) Thûlocuil bit back. She did not take her eyes from the Uruk, when she heard someone clear his throat. "Legolas?" she asked. "Thûlocuil?" He sighed and continued in Sindarin: "Maybe you could tell me what's going on here?" This time she could not withstand the urge and cast him a quick look. He was standing some 6 feet away, his bow drawn, the arrow and his eyes fixed on the head of the Uruk. "I'm interrogating him." she said, also talking elvish. "In the Black Speech of Mordor?" She looked at him again: "Yes." He did not look at her, but she could see his eyes narrowing at her answer. Yet, his only reply was: "I see. Can't he speak the Common Speech?" Her voice was cold when she answered: "I do not believe that you never interrogated anyone, Your Highness. As you probably understand his own Speech is...""Taer. Im daron, edpedich." (You're right, I stop, please continue [litt.: Straight, I stop, you speak forth]) Legolas cut in.
She did: "Bugud agh dhaar! Ghashkrutat!" (Name and rank! Answer!) When there came no answer, she continued in a dangerously soft voice. "Lat brusat nar ufum? Lat kul mankumûrz Uruk-hai?" Her voice rose: "Khlaarizg! Kulizg Sûmob Slaiumlob!" (You have no fear? You are fighting Uruk-hai? Hear me! I am Sûmob Slaiumlob*) For a moment Legolas thought he heard the Uruk cry in fear. "What did you say to him?" he asked. "I just told him my name. What do you want to know from him Legolas?" "I do not believe that you never interrogated anyone, Milady..." Legolas shot back.
Thûlocuil stared at the head of the Uruk. Unlikely as it was at that moment, she was smiling to herself, had she managed to stir his feelings? She felt her heart race and knew the fight was only part of the cause. Suddenly the Uruk started to talk. "Sauron kulat matum. Ikhlab kulat nardurbûrz rad." (Sauron is death. Your power [force] is not strong now.) Legolas could only distinguish the name of Sauron. Thûlocuil's voice was harsh and at the same time sweet like honey when she answered: "Lat kul durt? Lat narmok gimblût?" (You are sure? You like (to) find out?). The Uruk was silent. Thûlocuil made the Uruk turn and faced him standing on his chest, her sword under his chin. Legolas and the surrounding elves all had their arrows pointed at him. There was no escape. Finally the Uruk gave in. "I speak the filthy common tongue," he started. "I have followed you trough the hills and the swamp, you stupid elves have no idea of how we Uruk-hai can travel. We are above all others. We can travel trough a swamp like it is one of your disgusting woods. It is easy for us. We are fighting Uruk-hai, we know no fear. We will fight, we will win, we will rule!" And then suddenly he raised his arm as if to grab Thûlocuil and like one single shot, the arrows were released. The Uruk felt the pain they caused shorter than a breath, for at the same moment Thûlocuil's sword ended his life with one stroke.
They were sitting around the remainders of the fire. This time in an uneasy silence. Distinctively Thûlocuil sat alone.
They had rolled the dead body into the swamp. None of the elves were hurt, only Thûlocuil had had to change the bandage on her arm. They doubled the watch but nobody felt like sleeping anymore. The break of day was not far of and most warriors were sitting, some eating of their provisions, but most just thinking. And they had a lot to think about.
Legolas was no exception. He had noticed the change in his men's behaviour towards her. They clearly avoided her. What am I to think of all this? Never in his life had he heard any elf speak the language of Mordor. And yet she had, with an ease that made him shiver. The Uruk had been afraid of her and had known her; he had been close enough to see the eyes of the creature. Never had he seen any fear in eyes of these fighting machines, not at Amon Hen, nor at Helm's Deep. And he had seen Uruk-Hai on those occasions close enough. Nevertheless when she told the Uruk her name... Did she tell him her name? It had not sounded anything like 'Thûlocuil'.
He sighed, looked at her, sitting with her eyes closed, painfully clear radiating 'leave me be!'. Well, that just wouldn't do, she knew him by now: he wanted to know!
"Thûlocuil?" he spoke softly, but he noticed how all his men turn their heads. She just sighed, and did not even open her eyes when she said: "Legolas?". "I like to have a word with you." This time she opened her eyes to narrow slits. Then in an effort to sound airily she answered: "You want to know... yes, that could have been expected! Well, let's walk." She rose. As Legolas got up, so did Rovalhon. He took a step in Legolas's direction. "I'll come with you." he said. "There is no necessary," Legolas said. "Are you sure?" Rovalhon answered. Thûlocuil answered instead of Legolas: "It would have been much easier to kill you there and then when you were all naked and unarmed, Rovalhon." She turned her head and faced Legolas "However, we could talk here, what I tell you, I can tell your men". He looked at her and then slowly said, emphasizing every 'I': "I want to talk to you. I, not my men. They can line up if they want a conversation with you, I don't care, but I am the first in that line." He turned his head to Rovalhon: "Sorry, you just have to wait your turn if the lady grants you one."
Thûlocuil looked at him. His message was clear: no more beating around the bush, no more courtesy. Here was a man, a captain, who wanted answers and was determined on getting them. She saw Rovalhon nod his head: "As you wish, my Captain." Then she felt a gentle but determined tug at her arm and their royal captain let her away from his men.
A/N: * This is the translation of Thûlocuil in the Black Speech: Breath of life with the female extension -ob.
Hello! Anyone out there?? I always thought that begging author's were pathetic, but here I am: sitting at my computer with a serious attack of hay fever coming up: crying my eyes out, using a lot (and I mean A LOT) tissues. Please review!
13 September 2003: changed some spelling.
